11 Ways to Boost your Holiday Resilience

We are seriously looking forward to a break. Christmas is a time to recover, relax, connect with loved ones and celebrate. It is also an opportunity to reflect on the past year so that you can gain some perspective on what went well, what was difficult, and how you can improve.

First, however, let’s prioritise what we wish to achieve over the holidays.

1. Get clear on your holiday priorities

Relax, recover and rejuvenate

Connect with loved ones

Celebrate and be kind to yourself

Set your resilience goals for 2018

2. The core of resilience is insight – know yourself

At the end of a busy year, we have been fully focused on tasks. Christmas is a time to slow down, escape the intensity, and take time to reflect.

Use this time to engage your body, your emotions and your mind in a more relaxed and reflective way.

Take time to sense the needs of your body

Take stock of feelings and emotions

Notice the habits of mind

Insight is the ability to look inwards and review how you are travelling. What feels good and what is not so good.

3. Reflection and journalling

Before you dive into the Christmas celebrations, book some time to stop and take 30 minutes to reflect on the year.

What has gone really well this year?

What has been challenging and successful?

What has been difficult or frustrating?

Note down all the emotions you can remember and that might be still sitting with you. What would you like more of? What would you like less of?

4. Tune into your physical self – schedule time to move

Movement is the fundamental function of humanity. We are extraordinarily complex and capable. Be sure to tune into your physicality:

Take a relaxed walk every day

Get out in nature and sunlight

Breathe fully with long exhalations

Stretch in the mornings

Tackle a garden challenge

Get out and do your favourite physical activity

Secure a few nights of really good sleep – and powernap!

Each investment in your body will reap huge rewards.

5. Nudge toward positivity

The pressure of the year can trigger frustration, anxiety and disappointment. These negative emotions are natural and normal but they are sticky and can undermine our wellbeing, relationships and mental state.

Positivity is a commitment to nudge toward the positive:

If frustrated or angry press towards acceptance and kindness

If disappointed or sad press toward appreciation and joy

If anxious or worried press for calm and being present

If tired seek energy and passion

If you feel cravings savour the good – be contented

6. Master the monkey mind

Our minds are whirling by the end of the year. With 50,000 to 70,000 thoughts per day, it makes sense to step back and notice what you are thinking. Some of us tend to ruminate on the past. Others worry and fret about the future.

When the mind wanders into the past we dredge up sadness or anger. If we wander into the future it mostly triggers worries and anxiety.

7. Stay present

Practice staying in the present. If you notice your mind churning:

Name the thoughts

Bring your attention to the now – your body, feelings, environment

Stay fully attentive to those you are with

Be gentle with monkey mind – but be firm.

8. Practice tactical calm

You need to relax more than you can imagine. At the core of relaxation (vagal tone, coherence and wellbeing) is your breath. Far too often we “take a deep breath”. This is wrong. Breath out to relax:

Lie flat on your back or sit upright

Drop your mind into your belly

Exhale fully through the nose for 6 seconds

Gently inhale through the nose for 4 seconds

Relax neck and shoulders and let your lower ribs and belly move

Go to your happy place or thoughts of loved ones

Watch the breath – 6 seconds out and 4 seconds in

9. Zip it

It is easy to get into heated arguments over trivial things during the holidays. We have all worked hard and have high expectations for Christmas. This can easily lead to misunderstanding.

So when you feel triggered:

Stop (zip it!) and practice restraint

Breathe out slowly and pause

If needed excuse yourself from the situation

Apologise and share how you felt when triggered

Listen carefully to the other person’s perspective

10. Opposite emotions

A resilient person can defuse feelings of anger with love, or sadness with Rejoicing. This is called “Reframing” and is a great way to counteract issues that come up.

Just acknowledging the opposite of a negative emotion can help draw you out of an unproductive mental state. Here are the key opposites:

Anger > Compassion

Fear > Calm

Craving > Gratitude

Sadness > Rejoicing

Fatigue > Passion

When you sense a powerful negative emotion rising up, take a moment to exhale fully, pause without acting, and then try to acknowledge the opposite emotion.

11. Overindulge? It’s ok

Let’s face it, the holidays are for enjoying yourself and that will mean food, drink, fun, sun and late nights (at least that’s the plan!).

Guilt is not for Christmas. Let yourself go.

Strategic celebration tips:

Try not to have that 2nd plate, or 3rd if you had a second

Take a walk after heavy meals

Watch sugar intake and aim for 9 servings of veggies and green leaves per day